The Widnau Badi Surprise:                   A Golden Discovery

The afternoon sun was warm and bright, shining on the water of the Widnau Badi. This swimming lake with pools was like a sparkling gem in the green Swiss Rhine valley countryside. Walter, with a familiar sparkle in his eyes, watched his two grandchildren, Sam and Ella. They were nine-year-old twins, full of endless energy, splashing towards him. Their colorful surfboards waited for them in the small lake.

“Grandpa Walter, this is awesome!” Sam yelled, his voice echoing over the water. “Yeah, thanks for inviting us!” Ella added, quickly getting onto her board. Walter, always calm and relaxed, just smiled. “Glad you’re enjoying it. Remember to stay close to the shore.”

Sam and Ella were visiting from Feldkirch, a town nearby Austria. They usually went on adventures about magic creatures and old curses. But today’s adventure was about to become much more real, and more interesting than any dragon hunt. They spent a happy hour paddling, trying to stand on their heads, and sometimes falling off their boards in a big splash. Their laughter filled the air. Walter sat on a deck chair, slowly relaxing, as the gentle sound of the water made him feel peaceful.

Suddenly, a shout broke the quiet afternoon. “Grandpa! Look!”

Walter quickly looked up. Ella was holding a small, dark bag. It was soaking wet but easy to see. Sam, still holding onto his surfboard, was excitedly pointing at the spot where his sister had found it.

“It was stuck, really stuck, to the fin of this old surfboard over there,” Ella explained. Her voice was quiet and a little amazed. She pointed to a worn-out surfboard that was partly under the water near some plants. “It was tucked right into the slot where the fin goes, Grandpa.”

Walter took the bag, his eyebrows slightly creased. It felt surprisingly heavy, heavier than he expected. It wasn't just a cloth bag; it felt like strong, waterproof material. He untied the string and looked inside. His eyes grew wide.

“Well, I’ll be,” he whispered, pulling out a handful of shiny coins. They were clearly Schweizer 20 Frank Goldvreneli, special and valuable Swiss gold coins. Each coin was about the size of a US 20-cent piece and glowed with a rich, inviting shine.

“What are they, Grandpa?” Sam asked, very curious. “These, my dear children,” Walter said, his voice deep, “are gold coins. Very valuable ones. And they definitely don’t belong hidden inside a surfboard in the Widnau Badi.” He paused, a thought forming in his mind: What would Claudia do? She was good at solving problems. Her saying, “every problem has a solution,” came to his mind. This wasn't just a lost item; someone had hidden this on purpose. It was a small mystery right in front of them.

“Wow!” Ella whispered, her eyes wide. “Can we keep them?” Walter chuckled. “No, not exactly. They belong to someone. And we, as honest people, need to find out who that is. This isn't like a lost wallet, kids. Someone hid these.” He paused again, then a playful look came into his eyes. “However, there is such a thing as a finder’s fee, especially when you help the police with something like this.” The twins looked at each other excitedly. “A finder’s fee?” Sam repeated, a big grin on his face. “Exactly,” Walter confirmed. “If we help return them, or help the police understand why they were hidden here, it’s normal to get a small part of the money for our trouble. Say, ten percent?”

“So, what do we do, Grandpa?” Ella asked, already ready for a new adventure. Walter, always thinking clearly, thought for a moment. “First, we need to keep these treasures safe. They’re coming home with us. Then, we call the police. This isn't just a lost item; someone went to a lot of effort to hide these. It seems like either a very clumsy try to hide something, or… something more serious.”

Back home, with the coins carefully put away, Walter and the twins started their small investigation. “Maybe a spy hid treasure!” Sam suggested, looking at the picture on one of the coins. “But why a surfboard?” Ella argued, always logical. “Spies usually have secret places, not surfboards in a public lake.” Walter nodded, pouring them each a glass of refreshing Rivella. “Good point, Ella. It suggests a link between surfing and hiding. Or, maybe, a very strange way to hide something valuable from someone else.” Claudia would connect the dots and find the hidden meaning. “Maybe they were hiding from someone bad!” Sam cried out, his imagination already full of stories. Walter smiled faintly. “Could be. Now, here’s our plan. The Badi in Widnau is a popular place. Someone must have noticed something unusual. We’ll start by calling the local police station.”

The next morning, Walter made the call. He explained about finding the unusual waterproof bag and how it was hidden. The police dispatcher, who first sounded normal, quickly became more serious. They asked Walter to bring the coins and the bag to the station.

A short while later, Walter, with Sam and Ella proudly carrying the bag, sat in a small office at the local police station. A detective, a sharp woman named Inspector Meier, listened carefully to their story. She looked closely at the coins and the bag. She said, her voice calm but firm, “this is a very important find. We’ve been investigating a small gold smuggling operation. They use different quiet ways to move money across the border. We believe these Goldvreneli are part of that.”

She explained that they had been watching a person who often used public places to drop off or pick up hidden items. The old surfboard matched one they had seen in the area recently. The way the gold was hidden fit with what they already knew. It wasn't an accident; it was a desperate try to hide illegal money.

Inspector Meier turned to Sam and Ella. “Your honesty and sharp eyes have helped us a lot. This gold will be used to stop a criminal group. The canton of St. Gallen gives a reward for valuable items that help solve a crime.” She gave Walter an official paper and explained how the reward process worked.

The next week, a letter arrived. It confirmed a large reward for their help. Back at home, the money was carefully divided. Sam and Ella, with their new wealth, immediately started planning their next adventure. Now, thanks to Grandpa Walter and the mystery of the Goldvreneli, their characters in the game had a big gold bonus.

And with that, the “Storytellers on the Move” had another “short and spicy” tale to add to their growing collection. It showed that even in the calm beauty of the Swiss Badi, a little mystery – and a lot of honesty – could always be found, leading to unexpected solutions.

The story "The Widnau Badi Surprise: A Golden Discovery" is now history,

let's wait for the next "short criminal tale"

to unfold, where will Claudia and Walter take us next...